Free How To Build The Perfect Rake by Kate Harper Page B

every word.’
    ‘After food,’ she said, speaking around a
mouthful of salmon mousse, ‘I shall sigh and gasp and partake in
all manner of girlish swooning. Just let me feed myself first. One
cannot live by swoon alone.’
    ‘So I’ve heard,’ Luc muttered, with a
longing look at the table.
    Returning with Miss Houghton’s drink, he
reflected that Ollie had a point. It was so much easier to be
focused when one had a full stomach. He wondered if he could
persuade Carisse towards the buffet table. After listening to such
stuff, she must surely feel the need for refreshments.
    Carisse accepted her glass of lemonade with
a pretty word of thanks but it turned out that she was used to
being waited on by eager males, many of which offered their
services in providing suitable morsels for her celestial glory.
Mindful of his newly acquired – and still very fragile – status of
rake, Luc wondered what Howe would do. The answer came back to him
immediately. He would go and find somebody else to flirt with. A
rake did not settle on one woman, even if one woman was his
intended objective. He cultivated all manner of ladies, as long as
they were attractive, or amusing or – in Howe’s case – well off. So
Luc stepped back and looked around him. There were quite a few
pretty girls about, sadly neglected because Carisse was taking the
lion’s share of the masculine attention. He glanced towards Olympia
who was watching him with some interest. When she caught his eye,
she raised her glass and an eyebrow.
    Luc gave an inward shrug and headed towards
a buxom, doe eyed brunette who was pouting in the corner. He needed
some practice and there never appeared to be a better time. He
fixed a smile on his face and prepared to practice the art of
rakish charm.
     

Chapter Five
     
     
     
     
    Ten days after Lucien St James’ return to
town it was generally agreed upon by Society that he was not the
young man it had assumed him to be. And it didn’t quite know what
to make of the situation. Yes, he was still very wealthy, always a
desirable trait in a man, but at social events it quickly became
apparent that he had an eye for the ladies. And that they had an
eye for him. In fact, after ten days back in London, Lucien St
James was causing something of a stir.
    ‘Olympia?’ Aunt Flora said, coming into the
drawing room where her niece was writing a letter to her mother.
‘Do you know what Mrs. Flemington said to me?’
    ‘I can’t imagine. But then, she is a very
peculiar woman.’
    ‘She said that Mr. St
James has been making up to Helena Monkhouse. And Alice
Fotheringham. And Lucy Carmichael.’
    ‘Good heavens,’ Olympia murmured, ‘he has
been busy!’
    ‘Yes, but is it true? Lucien is such a quiet
young gentleman I can scarce believe it.’
    ‘I suppose it might be true. He has been
rather occupied of late.’
    ‘But didn’t you tell me he was interested in
Miss Houghton?’
    ‘I did indeed.’
    ‘So why,’ Aunt Flora demanded, flopping into
a chair. Her cheeks were pink for it was rather hot outside, the
temperature having climbed up in the past few days and then stayed
there, ‘is he paying attention to all these other young
ladies?’
    Olympia shrugged.
Truthfully, she had only seen Luc once or twice since the poetry
recital but she had heard a great deal about him. He was fast becoming
something of a rattle, the way he whizzed about the place, flirting
here, flirting there, casting his newfound abilities far and wide.
If she didn’t know any better she would say that his sudden
popularity had gone to his head. ‘Perhaps he is teasing Miss
Houghton. She does love a challenge. I daresay he thinks it is a
way of piquing her interest.’
    ‘A very odd way. If Mr. St
James is interested in securing the girl’s interest then he should
make his intention clear. I had Lady Carmichael demanding to know
what Lucien was up to, as if I should know. I am always the last person to know
anything.’
    This was not at all